The Hero They Lost for a Century

Quick answer: How did John Paul Jones win the battle off Flamborough Head?

On September 23, 1779, Jones's converted French merchantman faced a newer, faster, better-armed Royal Navy frigate and lost his heaviest guns when two burst early. Unable to win at range, he closed and lashed his ship to the British one, so size mattered far less. He won the fight.

Off Flamborough Head on September 23, 1779, two ships close under a harvest moon. One is new, copper-bottomed, with fifty guns and a capable Royal Navy captain. The other is an old French merchantman with gunports cut into her sides, and in the opening minutes two of her heaviest guns burst. Her captain was a Scottish gardener's son who went to sea at thirteen, fled Tobago after killing a sailor in a wage quarrel, and turned up in Virginia with a new surname. In 1775 he offered himself to a navy that barely existed. He couldn't win a gunnery duel, so he closed and helped lash the two ships together. That was John Paul Jones. John's point is practical. If you're the smaller party, stop negotiating across the gap. Find the problem the other side can't solve without you and tie yourself to it. When the arithmetic tells you to strike this week, look at what you still have, and go find the rope.

Why it matters for leaders: When you're outgunned, shrink the distance; closing with the problem often beats trading fire from range.

Q: What was Jones's ship and why the name?

A: An old French merchantman refitted with guns; he renamed her for a Philadelphia printer's almanac as a compliment to the printer.

Q: What leadership lesson does John draw?

A: If you're the smaller party, stop fighting across the gap: find the problem the other side can't solve without you and tie yourself to it.

Read the full essay on Substack → https://heroespath.substack.com/p/the-hero-they-lost-for-a-century

By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation